Prince Releases Surprise New Single, ‘The Breakdown’

Prince is one busy man. After announcing plans for a new album and a special reissue of the classic Purple Rain album, the singer released a new single, “The Breakdown.”

Entertainment Weeklyreports, the track is a contemplative, string-orchestrated funk ballad that Prince promises could be “the saddest story ever told.” Prince recently partnered with Warner Bros. in an effort to have licensing rights for every album released from 1978 into the '90s. "A brand-new studio album is on the way and both Warner Bros Records and Eye (sic) are quite pleased with the results of the negotiations and look forward to a fruitful working relationship," Prince said in a statement.

"The Breakdown" is the first music to appear after the deal and is available on iTunes for purchase. Be sure to check him out at the ESSENCE Music Festival this year and listen to the new track below.